For an explanation of probate records in England, click [[England Probate Records|here]].

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== Getting Started ==

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''Probate'' is the legal court process by which the estate of a deceased person is distributed to his or her heirs. Probate records include [[W genealogical glossary terms|wills]] and [[A genealogical glossary terms|administrations]]. This article is about probate records in Bedfordshire. For a general description of England probate records, click [[England Probate Records|here]].

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=== 1858 to the Present ===

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Beginning in 1858, the [[Principal Probate Registry|Principal Probate Registry]] had the authority for probating estates. Click on the link to learn more.

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=== Before 1858 ===

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Before 1858, Church of England ecclesiastical courts had authority for this process. To search for a pre-1858 probate record in Bedfordshire, follow these steps:

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==== Step 1. Search Indexes ====

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Here are some online indexes to probate records that include individuals who lived in Bedfordshire. Search these indexes first:

*Index of Bedfordshire probate records, 1484-1858 This includes {{FHL|703748|title-id|disp=indexes}} for the Court of the Archdeacon of Bedford, the Peculiar Court of Biggleswade and the Peculiar Court of Leighton Buzzard. Digital version at [http://www.origins.net/NWIWelcome.aspx National Wills Index] ($)

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*Court of the Archdeaconry of Bedfordshire. FHL films {{FHL|221664|title-id|disp=88007-88009}}

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*{{FHL|116542|title-id|disp=English wills, 1498-1526}} which are transcribed and many from the Archdeacon of Bedford

*{{FHL|4791|title-id|disp=Index}} to records of Lincoln Peculiar Courts with Peculiar of Biggleswade

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*Probate records for the Commissary Court of Lincoln for the Archdeaconry of Huntingdon, {{FHL|374857|title-id|disp=1559-1857, 1559-1857}} The Act books contain some Admon Grants from the Peculiar Court of Biggleswade

*Everton and Swineshead parishes have some references in the following court record Probate records for the Commissary Court of Lincoln for the Archdeaconry of Huntingdon, {{FHL|374857|title-id|disp=1559-1857, 1559-1857 }}<br>

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''Probate'' is the legal court process by which the estate of a deceased person is distributed to his or her heirs. The Church of England ecclesiastical courts had authority for this process until to 1858. Beginning in 1858, authority over probate matters was taken from ecclesiastical courts and put under the civil authority of the Principal Probate Registry. The Post-1857 Probate Records section below contains links to additional information about the records of this court.

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Did you find a reference to a probate record?

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To look for a probate record before 1858:<br>

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*If ''yes'', go to '''Step 4''' below.

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*If ''no'', go to '''Step 2''' below.

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#Discover when and where your ancestor died. If you don’t know, use the approximate date and place where they lived. <br>

The following courts had some jurisdiction over Bedfordshire before 1858:

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Determine ''where'' your ancestor died. It is easier to find a probate record if you know whether the place where your ancestor lived or died is a [[P genealogical glossary terms|parish]]. To learn whether it is a parish, look it up in a gazetteer. Here is a link to the 1872 ''Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales'' online:

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*[[Court of the Archdeacon of Bedford|Court of the Archdeacon of Bedford]]

*[[Court of the Bishop of Lincoln|Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory)]]

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*[[Court of the Bishop of Ely|Court of the Bishop of Ely (Episcopal Consistory)]]

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*[[Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Lincoln|Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Lincoln]]

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*[[Court of the Peculiar of Aylesbury|Court of the Peculiar of Aylesbury]]

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*[[Court of the Peculiar of Biggleswade|Court of the Peculiar of Biggleswade]]

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*[[Court of the Peculiar of Leighton Buzzard|Court of the Peculiar of Leighton Buzzard]]

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<br>In addition, the [[Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury]] had jurisdiction over the whole of England. Wealthier individuals, people who owned property in more than one county or lower court's jurisdiction, and Naval personnel often had their estates proven through the Archbishop's court.

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The gazetteer will either tell you:

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=== Appeals Courts ===

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*A place is a parish, or

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*What parish it is a part of, or

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*What place it is near.

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Any probate that was disputed and could not be settled by the county courts could be sent to these higher appeals courts:

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If the latter, look that place up in the gazetteer and see if it is a parish.

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*[[Court of Arches]]

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Once you have identified the parish, go to '''Step 3'''.

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*[[High Court of Delegates]]

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==== Step 3. Identify court jurisdictions by parish ====

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==== Majority of the County ====

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== Court Jurisdictions ==

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Before 1858, every town and parish in Bedfordshire was under the probate jurisdiction of a primary court and several secondary courts.&nbsp; The court that had primary jurisdiction over most of Bedfordshire, with just six exceptions (see next heading), was the [[Court of the Archdeacon of Bedford|Court of the Archdeaconry of Bedford]].&nbsp;

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Before 1858, every town and parish in Bedfordshire was under the probate jurisdiction of a primary court and several secondary courts.&nbsp; The court that had primary jurisdiction over most of Bedfordshire, with just a few exceptions, was the [[Court of the Archdeacon of Bedford]].&nbsp;

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==== Exceptions ====

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The secondary courts over most of Bedfordshire were the [[Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory)]] before 1837, and the [[Court of the Bishop of Ely (Episcopal Consistory)]] starting in 1837.&nbsp; The courts should be searched in order of primary court first and secondary court second.&nbsp; The [[Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury]] (and the appeals courts if necessary) should be searched last.

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There were six Bedfordshire parishes that were exceptions to this--Biggleswade, Billington, Eggington, Heath and Rich, Leighton Buzzard, and Stanbridge. To see the pre-1858 courts that had probate jurisdiction over these parishes, click [[Bedfordshire Probate Court Jurisdictions|here]]. <br>

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For a list of the Bedfordshire parishes that were exceptions to this, and the pre-1858 courts that had probate jurisdiction over them, click [[Bedfordshire Probate Court Jurisdictions|here]]. <br>

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==== Step 4. Obtain a copy of the probate record ====

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To find a will for an ancestor in Bedfordshire, click on a court link above and follow the steps given in the article about that court.

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Once you have found an index reference to a probate, obtain a copy of the record. Do so by one of these methods:

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== Estate Duty Records<br> ==

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*Visit or contact the record office that has the original records in its collection.

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*Visit the [https://www.familysearch.org/#form=catalog Family History Library] or a [[Introduction to LDS Family History Centers|family history center]] and obtain a copy of the record on microfilm. For more information, click on a court name below. <br>

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Starting in 1796, a tax or death duty was payable on estates over a certain value. Estate duty abstracts may add considerable information not found elsewhere. Between 1813-1858 estate duty indexes may help locate a will. For more information, go to [[Estate Duty Records]].<br>

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<br>

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== Post-1857 Probate Records ==

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== Bedfordshire Probate Courts ==

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Beginning in 1858, the government took over the&nbsp;settlement of estates and all&nbsp;wills are now probated through the [[Principal Probate Registry|Principal Probate Registry]] system.&nbsp; The system consists of 11 district registry offices and&nbsp;18 sub-district registries, located throughout England and Wales, and&nbsp;the principal registry&nbsp;office located in London.&nbsp; The records are available through the office of Her Majesty's Courts Service.&nbsp; To learn more, go to the [http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/infoabout/civil/probate/index.htm HMCS website].

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Most of Bedfordshire was under the pre-1858 probate jurisdiction of the [[Court of the Archdeacon of Bedford|Court of the Archdeaconry of Bedford]]. The majority of probate searches will be in the records of this court and its superior courts, which were the [[Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory)]] before 1837, and the [[Court of the Bishop of Ely (Episcopal Consistory)]] starting in 1837.&nbsp; The courts should be searched in that order.&nbsp; The [[Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury]] (and the appeals courts if necessary) should be searched last.

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A&nbsp;country-wide surname index to the records is available, so it is much easier to look for post-1857 wills.&nbsp; The [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=208102&disp=Calendar+of+the+grants+of+probate+and+le%20%20&columns=*,0,0 indexes] for 1858-1957 and the [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=authordetails&authorno=301365&name=Great+Britain%2E+Principal+Probate+Registry%2C+null&columns=*,0,0 records] for 1858-1925 are available on microfilm at the Family History Library.<br>

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However, the following courts also had some pre-1858 jurisdiction over certain parishes within the county. Click on a court name below to learn about the parishes they cover and&nbsp;their&nbsp;records and indexes.

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{{Place|Bedfordshire}}

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*[[Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Lincoln|Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Lincoln]]

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*[[Court of the Peculiar of Aylesbury|Court of the Peculiar of Aylesbury]]

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*[[Court of the Peculiar of Biggleswade|Court of the Peculiar of Biggleswade]]

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*[[Court of the Peculiar of Leighton Buzzard|Court of the Peculiar of Leighton Buzzard]]<br>

Getting Started

Probate is the legal court process by which the estate of a deceased person is distributed to his or her heirs. Probate records include wills and administrations. This article is about probate records in Bedfordshire. For a general description of England probate records, click here.

Step 1. Search Indexes

Index of Bedfordshire probate records, 1484-1858 This includes indexes for the Court of the Archdeacon of Bedford, the Peculiar Court of Biggleswade and the Peculiar Court of Leighton Buzzard. Digital version at National Wills Index ($)

Everton and Swineshead parishes have some references in the following court record Probate records for the Commissary Court of Lincoln for the Archdeaconry of Huntingdon, 1559-1857, 1559-1857

Did you find a reference to a probate record?

If yes, go to Step 4 below.

If no, go to Step 2 below.

Step 2. Identify when and where your ancestor died

Determine when your ancestor died. If you aren't sure, use an approximate date.

Determine where your ancestor died. It is easier to find a probate record if you know whether the place where your ancestor lived or died is a parish. To learn whether it is a parish, look it up in a gazetteer. Here is a link to the 1872 Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales online:

If the latter, look that place up in the gazetteer and see if it is a parish.

Once you have identified the parish, go to Step 3.

Step 3. Identify court jurisdictions by parish

Majority of the County

Before 1858, every town and parish in Bedfordshire was under the probate jurisdiction of a primary court and several secondary courts. The court that had primary jurisdiction over most of Bedfordshire, with just six exceptions (see next heading), was the Court of the Archdeaconry of Bedford.

Exceptions

There were six Bedfordshire parishes that were exceptions to this--Biggleswade, Billington, Eggington, Heath and Rich, Leighton Buzzard, and Stanbridge. To see the pre-1858 courts that had probate jurisdiction over these parishes, click here.

Step 4. Obtain a copy of the probate record

Once you have found an index reference to a probate, obtain a copy of the record. Do so by one of these methods:

Visit or contact the record office that has the original records in its collection.

However, the following courts also had some pre-1858 jurisdiction over certain parishes within the county. Click on a court name below to learn about the parishes they cover and their records and indexes.